Washingtonblade.com, Volume 51, Issue 49, December 04, 2020

(Photo courtesy Lori Kline)

Rehoboth ’s Joe!

Locals excited as town prepares for role as presidential retreat, PAGE 08

DECEMBER 04, 2020 • VOLUME 51 • ISSUE 49 • WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE 49 ADDRESS PO Box 53352 Washington DC 20009 PHONE 202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com POP CULTURE REPORTER JOHN PAUL KING PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PARKER PURIFOY, PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, ERNESTO VALLE, FELIPE ALFACE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ, LYNARE ROBBINS, RACHAEL ESPINET, PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN, ALEX COOPER, KATLEGO K. KOL-KES, VICTOR MAUNG CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 ACCT. EXECUTIVE JOE HICKLING jhickling@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC

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2 lesbians, women of color, named to Biden comms staff

The Biden transition team announced late Sunday night two lesbian women of color — Karine JeanPierre and Pili Tobar — were selected to serve as key members for the new administration’s White House communications staff, which will for the first time be all women.

Jean-Pierre served as senior adviser to Presidentelect Joe Biden and chief of staff to Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign. Previously, Jean-Pierre was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC political analyst.

During the Obama administration, Jean-Pierre was regional political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama administration and served in various roles in the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaigns. Born in Martinique and raised in New York, Jean-Pierre is a graduate of Columbia University.

Tobar was communications director for coalitions for the Biden campaign. Previously, Tobar was deputy director for America’s Voice, where she advocated on behalf of immigrants.

Additionally, Tobar has worked as the Hispanic

KARINE JEAN PIERRE and PILI TOBAR were named to key roles in the White House communications staff.

(Photo of Pierre via Twitter; photo of Tobar public domain)

media director for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer; national director of Hispanic Media and Western regional press secretary for the Democratic National Committee; communications director for Congressman Ruben Gallego; and communications director for the Latino Victory Project. Originally from Florida and raised in Guatemala, Tobar is a graduate of the University of Miami and now lives in D.C. with her wife and daughter.

The Biden transition team announced the news about Jean-Pierre and Tobar in the same statement announcing Jennifer Psaki, who had previously served during the Obama administration as State Department spokesperson, would be White House press secretary in the new administration.

Jean-Pierre and Tobar aren’t the first openly gay people to work in a White House communications staff. In the Trump White House, Judd Deere has been serving as White House deputy press secretary.

During the Obama years, Eric Schulz was also White House deputy press secretary and was the first openly gay person to conduct an on-camera news conference from the White House briefing room.

CHRIS JOHNSON

Black trans woman killed in Richmond

Virginia’s LGBTQ community is mourning the death of Chae’Meshia Simms, a Black transgender woman who was shot on Nov. 23 in Richmond at around 6 a.m.

According to local news reports, first responders were called to Cheatwood Avenue in the city’s Washington Park neighborhood after receiving reports of a car crash. They found Simms in the driver’s seat, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

The Richmond Police Department sent the Washington Blade a press release that confirmed the details of Simms’ murder. The statement said detectives continue to investigate her death and ask anyone with information to call Major Crimes Det. M. Godwin at 804-646-5533 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Simms’ death came three days after National Transgender Day of Remembrance, in a

year where violence against trans people has risen sharply.

According to a statement by the Human Rights Campaign, Simms’ death is the 39th violent death of a trans or gender non-conforming person this year in the U.S, which is more than any previously recorded year.

Simms’ family and friends gathered Friday evening for a vigil to commemorate her life.

Her father described her as a “well-loved individual” during the gathering.

“This is going to make us all a little bit stronger,” he told local reporters about his daughter’s death. “We’re going to find out the reasoning behind it, so we can have closure as a family.”

PARKER PURIFOY

Whitman-Walker opens exhibition on D.C. LGBTQ history

Whitman-Walker Health, D.C.’s LGBTQ supportive healthcare provider, has announced its recently opened The Corner cultural center at 14th and R streets, N.W. will launch its inaugural exhibition on Dec. 5 called “See You There: Making History at Whitman-Walker.”

The exhibition “highlights D.C.’s LGBTQ community and Whitman-Walker’s role in its past, present and future,” according to a statement released by Whitman-Walker.

“Inspired by Whitman-Walker’s Oral History Project, the exhibition has gathered documents, fresh stories and artworks, some of them newly commissioned,” the statement says. “It casts back a queer look at some of the facts and some of the lore of Whitman-Walker.”

The statement adds, “It catches a glimpse at vital stories about Black and lesbian life in this city.

It envisions a future of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and Black liberation. And it witnesses a younger generation giving voice to their aspirations.”

According to the statement, the exhibition will be

open to the public free of charge through March 28, 2021.

Whitman-Walker Director of Communications Jewel Addy said the exhibition will be available for both online virtual and in-person visits “with required mask use, limited capacity, contact tracing and social distancing in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

“At The Corner, we are combining the perspectives of health, education, research and art in a way that is new, exciting and relevant,” said Ruth Noack, executive director and curator of The Corner.

The statement says the exhibition will feature new works by artists Mehraneh Atashi, Holly Bass, Tina Gvervic, and Pamela Sneed and will present photographs by noted photographers Joan E. Biren known as JEB, Sharon Farmer, Leigh Mosley, and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Additional information about The Corner and the exhibition can be obtained at thecornerdc.com.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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Whitman-Walker’s new building is home to The Corner.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

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Rehoboth excited about Biden presence in Delaware beach town Popular resort becomes first presidential retreat known as ‘gay destination’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Lori Kline, owner of Lori’s Café in Rehoboth Beach, is one of many LGBTQ people who own and operate businesses in the popular Delaware resort town that has become known at least since the 1970s as a “gay destination” in the nation’s mid-Atlantic region, especially for LGBTQ people in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Kline, whose café is located in a courtyard next to CAMP Rehoboth, the local LGBTQ community center, says President-Elect Joe Biden and soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden have been regular customers at Lori’s Café.

“I saw Jill a lot this summer,” Kline told the Washington Blade. “She would come in. She would pick up their order. I have met Joe Biden as well,” she said in referring to the president-elect’s past visits to Lori’s.

“I have a picture with him,” she said. “They’re wonderful, wonderful people.”

Kline is among the many Rehoboth business owners and residents as well as summer visitors, including those from D.C., who have seen the Biden family during the Bidens’ visits to Rehoboth for more than 20 years.

Three years ago the Bidens bought a house in the North Shores neighborhood located just outside the Rehoboth city limits, which is expected to serve as the presidential retreat for the next four years.

Gay Rehoboth resident Joe Mack, owner of Double Dippers ice cream shop located about a block away from Lori’s Café, said Joe Biden has been coming to his business for nearly 20 years going back to when Biden was a U.S. senator.

“He loves chocolate ice cream and a waffle cone,” Mack said. “That’s his go-to. He’s always very friendly. He’s had his grandkids in and his niece.”

Mack said Biden sometimes offered him quotes from people Biden respected, including his grandfather and great grandfather as well as former presidents during his visits to Double Dippers. “This one was from Harry Truman and I wrote it down,” Mack told the Blade. “It says, ‘I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.’ And that’s the Harry Truman quote he gave me that I thought was really, really good.”

Mack said Biden did not stop by his shop this past summer or this fall, most likely because he was busy campaigning for president. Mack said business owners in the town believe that Biden and many others may also be keeping a distance from businesses and other indoor locations because of the COVID pandemic, which Mack says has hurt his and many other businesses in Rehoboth.

Longtime Rehoboth residents and regular summer visitors say they are hopeful that with a COVID vaccine expected to become available in the coming months and the interest in Rehoboth generated by the Bidens, the sharp decline in business brought about by the epidemic will quickly reverse itself.

“He’s always been a very avid supporter of businesses in town,” said gay D.C. diversity consultant and executive coach Wesley Combs, who with his husband has been working remotely at the couple’s Rehoboth home.

Combs said that in the recent past Biden has been a regular customer at Browseabout Books, the popular Rehoboth bookstore that added more LGBTQ-related titles to its collection after Rehoboth’s gay bookstore closed three years ago.

Biden greeted people on the sidewalk in front of Browseabout Books in July 2019 when Jill Biden appeared at the store for a book signing event to promote her recently published memoir.

“Whenever the Bidens are in town there’s a buzz in town,” Combs said. “He goes to the Starbucks to get his coffee. And so when they are in town they often frequent the businesses and the town loves him and Mrs. Biden for that reason.”

Combs and others who have been in Rehoboth when the Bidens have come to town after the presidential election say they have observed the presence of Secret Service agents accompanying the Bidens. They expect more staff and presidential aides to join the Bidens during his upcoming visits after he becomes president on Jan. 20, a development they believe will give a needed economic boost to the town and surrounding areas.

Others have expressed concern that if the Bidens arrive in town in an expected presidential motorcade, the already frequent traffic jams on U.S. Route 1, the main road going into Rehoboth from other parts of Delaware, will become far worse.

D.C. gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein, who also has a Rehoboth home, points out that Route 1 is nearly always backed up in traffic during the peak summer months as visitors and summer residents travel to Rehoboth.

“There’s loads of traffic anyway,” said Rosenstein. “And the other thing is he can come in by helicopter. He can land at the Rehoboth elementary school or at Cape Henlopen State Park,” Rosenstein noted, which is located just outside Rehoboth.

Combs said he believes the Biden motorcade can take some alternate routes to avoid traffic backups in Rehoboth itself. He also appears to share the view of many Rehoboth residents who say they are willing to put up with additional traffic caused by the Bidens.

“I am totally fine with any inconvenience his presence in Rehoboth Beach creates to have a more hopeful future for LGBTQ Americans and for all those who have been disenfranchised during the Trump administration,” Combs said.

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Gay activist Peter Schott, a LORI KLINE, owner of Lori’s Café Rehoboth area resident who in Rehoboth, flanked by JOE and JILL BIDEN. (Photo courtesy Kline) serves as president of Delaware Stonewall PAC, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said Rehoboth could soon have the distinction of being the only known presidential retreat that’s also known as a LGBTQ destination.

Longtime Rehoboth residents and visitors say Rehoboth became known as a vacation and summer home destination for LGBTQ people in the midAtlantic region at least since the 1970s if not earlier. Sources familiar with Rehoboth say the large number of LGBTQ D.C.-area residents who have vacationed in Rehoboth in the summer months contributed to Rehoboth’s reputation as the “Nation’s Summer Capital.”

There currently are six gay bars in Rehoboth, most of which also operate as restaurants.

Activists say many other bars and restaurants are LGBTQ friendly and draw a significant LGBTQ clientele. For close to 20 years, at least one lesbian or gay man has won election and served on JOE BIDEN with JOE MACK, owner of Double Dippers ice cream shop in Rehoboth. (Photo courtesy of Mack) the Rehoboth City Commission, which acts as the city’s legislative governing body.

The famous presidential retreats of Presidents John F. Kennedy in Hyannis Port, Mass.; George H.W. Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine; and Barack Obama in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. are not known as gay destinations.

Schott said the only possible comparison to Rehoboth’s role as a presidential retreat could be the former home of President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty Ford in Rancho Mirage, Calif., which is in the vicinity of Palm Springs, a well-known vacation and residential destination for LGBTQ people. But the Fords did not move into their Rancho Mirage house until 1977, shortly after Ford lost the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter.

According to Vogue magazine, a gay male couple bought the house from Gerald and Betty Ford’s heirs in 2012 after the Fords had passed away.

Biden, who has a longtime record of support on LGBTQ issues, has enjoyed strong political support in Rehoboth and nearby Lewes, Del. But the two small cities stand out as progressive exceptions in Sussex County, where they are located and which President Donald Trump won in the Nov. 3 election, although Trump lost the statewide race to Biden.

Rehoboth homeowner Jeffrey Slavin, the mayor of Somerset, Md. near D.C. who’s gay, said Biden’s longstanding support for LGBTQ equality is likely to result in there not being much of a “gay angle” to his presence in Rehoboth.

“They’re so open to gay people and everybody knows how much better Biden and the Democrats are for gay people,” said Slavin. “I think there is no question there will be gay people all over his administration and they will do everything possible to right the wrongs of the past four years,” he said.

“So I just think it’s so much of a non-issue for him. We’re in a whole new era,” said Slavin. “We’re already post-Trump the way I look at it. Let’s stop talking about it and move on.”

Kline of Lori’s Café said she was moved that Jill Biden took the time to respond to an email Kline sent her after it was announced that Biden won the election.

“When Jill Biden orders she orders with a personal email,” Kline said referring to Jill Biden’s food carryout orders submitted to Lori’s Café. “And I will never use it except when it was announced that they won,” Kline recounted. “And I emailed her to congratulate her from the café. We were all behind them and they were now going to the White House,” said Kline.

“That was on Saturday night when they said Biden won. And she actually emailed me back that night and said love hearing from you,” Kline continued. “They’re just remarkable people.

They’re friendly. They’re real. What you see is what you get.”

A crossroads in HIV/AIDS fight

Will Biden build off Trump plan or go his own way?

By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

With the transition underway from President Trump to President-elect Joe Biden, advocates in the fight against HIV/AIDS are at a crossroads on whether to hold firm or seek a change in plans as the Department of Health & Human Services is floating an updated National AIDS Strategy that would carry over into the next administration.

The decision on the way forward carries high stakes for people in the LGBTQ community, who continue to become infected at higher rates. As documented by the draft 87-page document made public on Tuesday, gay and bisexual men make up 67 percent of new infections. In new data, the draft report also finds 14 percent of transgender women have HIV, including 44 percent of Black transgender women.

A key component of the draft document, the first update on the National AIDS Strategy since the Obama administration in 2015, is the Trump administration’s plan to end the domestic HIV epidemic by 2030. The cross-agency, PrEP-centric initiative was one of a few policies during the Trump administration that stood out as beneficial to the LGBTQ community, despite an overall anti-LGBTQ record.

“The HIV Plan covers the entire country, has a broader focus across federal departments and agencies beyond HHS and all sectors of society, and addresses the integration of several key components that are vital to our collective work, including stigma, discrimination and social determinants of health,” the draft report says in the introduction.

Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, said in a statement the updated draft strategy makes additional commitments on the uptake of PrEP, eliminating stigma and addressing disparities in priority populations.

“It is also reassuring to see an emphasis on the integration of efforts related to the syndemics of viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, substance use and mental health along with a focus on stigma and discrimination and the social determinants of health,” Schmid said.

As part of the draft review process, which is set to last until Dec. 14, HHS asks interested parties to submit comments in consideration for the final report. The final report is expected to come out in mid-January 2021, an HHS spokesperson told the Washington Blade.

In contrast, Biden has campaigned on beating HIV by 2025, although the strategy isn’t as thorough as the plan developed by HHS during the current administration. In his World AIDS Day statement on Tuesday, Biden fleshed out his vision by saying he plans to reinstate the Office of National AIDS Policy, release a new comprehensive National Strategy on HIV/AIDS, and expand support for global programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria.

“An AIDS-free generation is not only imaginable, it is within our reach,” Biden said. “And under a Biden-Harris administration, America’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this moment will match their unparalleled example.”

It remains to be seen whether the Biden plan builds off the Trump plan, including the draft National AIDS Strategy, or scraps those efforts in favor of a new plan. A Biden transition spokesperson referred the Washington Blade to the Biden campaign’s health plan and the president-elect’s statement on World AIDS Day in response to a request to comment.

As proposed by the Trump administration, the National AIDS Strategy breaks down current numbers for HIV/AIDS in the United States, observing the number of new infections, including 36,400 in 2018, has become stable since the 1980s. That stabilization, the report says, has opened the door to combat the disease with renewed focus and coordinated development of the HIV plan, which seeks a 75 percent reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 and a 90 percent reduction by 2030.

The draft report indicates gay and bisexual men, Black gay and bisexual men continue to face the brunt of HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of HIV is more than 150 times higher in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and in transgender women than straight men and women.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are “the population most affected by HIV in the United States” and make up 61.7 percent of the estimated 1.2 million people with HIV in the United States and 67 percent of the new infections, the draft report says.

Within this group of men who have sex with men, Black men are most severely affected by HIV, accounting for 26 percent of new HIV infections in the United States and 39 percent of new infections among all gay and bisexual men, while Latino men are also heavily afflicted and make up 22 percent of new HIV infections and 33 percent of new infections among gay and bisexual men, the draft report says.

For the first time, the draft report also includes data on transgender women, finding an estimated 14 percent have HIV. Broken down by race, an estimated 44 percent of Black transgender women, 26 percent of Latina transgender women, and 7 percent of white transgender women have HIV. Among the 3 million HIV testing events reported to CDC in 2017, the percentage of transgender people who received a new HIV diagnosis was three times the national average.

With regard to whether or not this plan will carry over into the Biden administration, Schmid said advocates in the fight against HIV/AIDS are in a wait-and-see mode until the transition team announces nominees for the chief health officials for the next administration.

“We’re anxiously awaiting who’s going to be the secretary and who’s going to be the head of

Will President-elect JOE BIDEN build off PRESIDENT TRUMP’s HIV plan or go his own way?

CDC and all those agencies because a lot of the leadership was really dedicated and very vocal on HIV and I hope that will continue until the next administration,” Schmid said.

Schmid said he thinks the framework established under the Trump administration is “spot on,” but also was hopeful about the Biden administration because of the president-elect’s commitment to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and LGBTQ non-discrimination in health care.

“My hope is that the Biden administration will continue and ramp up this initiative,” Schmid said. “It’s sound, it’s targeted, it’s exactly what we want and it’s exactly what other countries are doing as well. I think they will have some welcome policy changes that could help speed implementation. Biden has already said he wants to end HIV by 2025 and we need to hold him accountable to that.”

Late last month, the Act Now: End AIDS Coalition announced it has reached out to the Biden transition team for a meeting on several concerns related to the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative. A community-driven policy paper from the coalition highlighted the need for transparency with the HIV community and when allocating resources from the federal government against the disease. The coalition didn’t immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for an update.

Meanwhile, advocates in the global fight against HIV/AIDS are pushing hard for Biden to make new commitments to PEPFAR, which distributes anti-viral drugs to countries heavily afflicted by HIV, including countries in Africa. Trump had repeatedly sought drastic cuts to global AIDS programs, including PEPFAR, although Congress continued to fund the program at existing levels.

The Center for Health & Gender Equity is calling on the incoming Biden administration to make a massive $1 billion investment in PEPFAR in the DREAMS program, the first HIV prevention program aimed at adolescent girls and young women.

CHANGE President Serra Sippel said in a statement the investment “is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do because it contributes to the overall health and well-being of communities and countries.”

“CHANGE has consistently heard from young women who are service providers and advocates in Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, that more resources are needed to ensure that adolescent girls and young women are at the table to design and implement programs and expand DREAMS to more communities,” Sippel said.

If the next administration were to build on the Trump domestic plan, time is running out for Congress to issue the next layer of funding for that. The White House has sought $450 million beyond existing levels for the second year of funding for the plan to end HIV, but Congress has yet to appropriate funds for that or anything else for fiscal year 2021.

Counterintuitively, the Democratic-controlled House, faced with budget caps, declined to provide the additional money for HIV, while the Republican-controlled Senate has proposed legislation that would provide $207 million. It remains to be seen what if any kind of agreement Congress will make on this money before funding for the government writ large expires on Dec. 11.

One issue that appears to have been decided going forward is the reinstatement of the Office of National AIDS Policy at the White House. The position was vacant for the entirety of the Trump administration, but Biden pledged to reinstate the position as part of his World AIDS Day statement.

Early on during the Trump years, six members of PACHA resigned in protest largely over Trump’s refusal to fill the role, saying it demonstrated his lack of commitment to fighting AIDS. Schmid was undecided when asked by the Blade whether the addition of the White House czar would be helpful in coordinating the fight against HIV/AIDS, or just added bureaucracy.

“It all depends,” Schmid said. “It does provide a central, pivotal focus at the White House for HIV. So, I do think it’s important, and it shows the commitment to HIV.”

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National AIDS Memorial honors Fauci, Ho Dr. ANTHONY FAUCI and Dr. DAVID HO during the National AIDS Memorial’s virtual World AIDS Day commemoration on Dec. 1.

Commemorating 2020 World AIDS Day virtually

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS | mlavers@washblade.com

The National AIDS Memorial on Tuesday honored Drs. Anthony Fauci and David Ho during its virtual World AIDS Day event.

Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, during a panel that ABC News Chief Health and Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton moderated talked about treating people with HIV/AIDS during the first years of the epidemic.

“You related to these people,” said Fauci. “They were young men who previously had been very healthy and they were in a mysterious disease.”

“In 1981, 2 and 3 we knew it was an infection. It had to be an infection,” he added. “We knew that it was new, but it was a very unique experience dealing with something that was killing a lot of people and you didn’t know what it was.

That is a very unique experience in medicine.”

Ho, director of Columbia University’s Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, echoed Fauci.

“This was a mysterious illness, that was seemingly transmissible and it was killing young gay men one after another,” said Ho. Ho, like Fauci, also said many gay men with HIV/AIDS died alone because their families had shunned them.

“They were often dying alone, shunned by family and friends because of this transmissible illness and we knew it was obviously spreading and yet there was no effective intervention that was meaningful in any way,” said Ho. Ho and Fauci received the National AIDS Memorial’s National Recognition Leadership Award. John Cunningham, executive director of the San Franciscobased organization, during the event announced Ho and Fauci’s names have been added to the memorial’s “Circle of Friends” in the city’s Golden Gate Park.

“For nearly four decades, these two individuals have stood at the forefront,” said Cunningham.

This year’s World AIDS Day took place nearly four decades after the first cases of what became known as AIDS were reported. It also coincides with the coronavirus pandemic.

Johns Hopkins University of Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center notes there are 13,696,060 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. The pandemic has also killed more than 270,000 Americans.

Robert Garcia, the openly gay mayor of Long Beach, Calif., is among those who participated in the virtual World AIDS Day event.

Garcia during a panel with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms that ABC News’ “GMA3” Co-Anchor T.J. Holmes moderated noted his mother and stepfather both died from the coronavirus over the summer. Garcia also discussed both pandemics’ impact on the LGBTQ community.

“As we think about and remember everyone that has left us because of HIV and AIDS, for me as a gay man, it means an enormous amount knowing the amount of sacrifice that has happened within our own LGBTQ+ community throughout this terrible virus and the damage it’s done to our community, to 1 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

friends of mine, to people and mentors that I look up to and respect,” said Garcia. “And it reminds us that we have to be strong because things can get better and that’s the case with this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ho also drew parallels between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the coronavirus pandemic.

“HIV/AIDS was relatively speaking slow and insidious and yet COVID-19 hit us like a tsunami,” he said.

Ho also noted “it looks like the vaccines and therapies are emerging extremely rapidly in an unprecedented fashion” for the coronavirus, whereas an HIV vaccine remains elusive. Ho and Fauci also discussed the way that behavioral changes can curb the spread of HIV and the coronavirus.

“Human behavior is quite challenging to predict and certainly to modify,” said Ho. “We have learned that in HIV for example, wearing a condom could go a long way in preventing sexual prevention of the virus. And in COVID-19 wearing a mask would similarly cut down transmission, but it’s very hard for people to apply some of these measures.”

Fauci acknowledged “one of the things that has been dominant and very, very difficult to deal with with COVID-19 is the divisiveness in our society in which messaging and conduct related to one’s own personal responsibility as well as your societal responsibility has been really completely distorted by the divisiveness as where public health measures have taken on an almost a statement as opposed whether it’s going to have an impact on the broad health of everyone.” He also pointed to continued resistance to wearing masks and other prevention measures in parts of the country where coronavirus rates continue to skyrocket.

“You still have people who refuse to wear a mask, who refuse to have physical distancing because they think all for this is a hoax or its fake news,” said Fauci.

“We didn’t have that with HIV,” he added. “There were another set of behavioral issues that got in the way, but this is an extra added something that I have never experienced with and I am really stunned by it.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David also participated in the event that actress Judith Light hosted.

Black Lives Matter Co-founder Alicia Garza, Marked by COVID Co-Founder Kristin Urquiza and Cleve Jones participated in a panel that David moderated.

Rev. Naomi Washington-Leaphart, director of Philadelphia’s Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs, delivered the invocation.

“This year has been an unprecedented year for global health, unprecedented even by pandemic standards,” said Light. “We face a grim reality. Our nation continues to struggle in the fight against COVID-19 … 2020 also marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States.”

“On this World AIDS Day, our hearts and minds open we are spotlighting the interconnectedness between two pandemics that while having their differences, have haunting similarities,” she added.

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Elliott Page comes out as transgender Before coming out as trans, Page was one of the most Oscar-nominated actor and star of Netflix’s “The prominent out gay actors in Hollywood. By coming out Umbrella Academy” Elliot Page, came out Tuesday as as trans, he joins a small yet slowly growing list of openly transgender and non-binary in a message posted to his gender non-conforming creators in the business. social media accounts.

Page has also held roles in Christopher Nolan’s “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,” he said “Inception,” “Whip It!” and Sony’s reboot of “Flatliners.” He in the message. “And the more I hold myself close and previously produced and starred in movies “Tallulah” and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my “Freeheld,” and directed “There’s Something in The Water,” heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people a documentary on environmental racism in Canada. who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the “Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you and I will and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ do everything I can to change this world for the better.” people,” GLAAD Director of Transgender Media Nick Page became a breakout star with his role in “Juno” Adams said in a statement. “He will now be an inspiration where he played a teenager dealing with an unplanned to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender pregnancy. He earned nominations for an Academy Actor ELLIOT PAGE came out this week as trans. people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and (Photo via Page’s Facebook page) accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable others.

Elliot Page today.”

In his coming out message, Page mentioned his fear at being discriminated against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his own tweet thanked Elliot “for sharing because of his gender identity. these words and speaking your truth.”

“The statistics are staggering. The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious, “Your bravery and strength are inspiring, and your authenticity and vulnerability will and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences,” he said. “To the political leaders who work mean so much to so many,” said Trudeau. “Sophie and I wish you the very best, and we to criminalize trans health care and deny our rights to exist and to all those with a massive send you — and the trans community — all our support.” Page is from Canada. platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: You have blood on PARKER PURIFOY your hands.”

Funeral home must pay $250K after firing Aimee Stephens Harris Funeral Homes, which fired the late Aimee Stephens for being transgender and led her to sue the business in litigation that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, must pay $250,000 as a result of a settlement stemming from the landmark case affirming anti-transgender discrimination is illegal under the law.

U.S. District Judge Sean Cox in Michigan, the George W. Bush-appointed judge who adjudicated the case after the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the court, signed the consent decree on Monday, bringing an end to a case that made its way through the judiciary for more than six years.

Under the consent decree, Harris Funeral Homes in Michigan must pay a sum of $130,000 to Stephens’ spouse, Donna Stephens, for back pay, interest and compensatory damages. The other $120,000 goes to the American Civil Liberties Union in attorney fees for acting as intervenor in the case.

Further, the agreement enjoins Harris Funeral Homes from firing workers on the basis of transgender status and from giving employees unequal clothing allowances on the basis of the sex. Thomas Rost, the owner Harris Funeral Homes, has asserted in initial stages of legislation having to buy Stephens a women’s business uniform violated his religious beliefs, although that claim was dropped when the case reached the Supreme Court.

Dale Price, trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which represented Stephens in court, said in a statement the law is clear after the Supreme Court ruling in her favor.

“The law is now clear that discrimination against an employee because of his or her transgender status is sex discrimination,” Price said. “Employers also cannot discriminate on the basis of sex with regard to providing employees with clothing benefits.”

As a result of Stephens case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June anti-transgender discrimination in the workplace is a form of sex discrimination, thus illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Her case was consolidated with Bostock v. Clayton County, which reached a similar determination with regard to anti-gay discrimination, thus making anti-LGBTQ discrimination illegal in employment under federal law.

Stephens, however, who was in bad health, didn’t live to see the decision from the Supreme Court. She died in May 2020, just weeks before justices rendered their decision in Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC. Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice with the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, said in a statement to the Blade the agreement means Stephens will obtain justice posthumously for all transgender people.

“Today marks a closing chapter in Aimee Stephens’s remarkable fight for justice,” Strangio said. “We are sad that Aimee is not here to experience this moment with her 1 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

Harris Funeral Homes must pay $250K over the landmark case brought by AIMEE STEPHENS. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

wife Donna and grateful for all that Aimee, Donna and the many trans fighters for justice and their families have done to bring us to this place. As Aimee always said, this fight is about more than just her and it will stretch far beyond this case.”

The landmark decision not only ensures anti-LGBTQ discrimination is unlawful in the workplace, but also under any law that bars sex discrimination, such as civil rights laws for housing, education, health care and credit and jury service. Areas of civil rights without bans on sex discrimination, however, such as federal programs and public accommodations, aren’t covered by the decision.

Strangio called for passage of the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to expand the prohibition on anti-LGBTQ discrimination even further, to recognize of the legacy of Stephens.

“The Biden administration must make it clear that across all areas of federal law sex discrimination protections apply to LGBTQ people and Congress must pass the Equality Act to close critical gaps in our civil rights laws that leave so many LGBTQ people, women, and many people of color vulnerable to discrimination,” Strangio said. “We will honor Aimee’s legacy by continuing her fight for country where all trans and non-binary people belong and feel safe.”

Alliance Defending Freedom, the anti-LGBTQ legal firm that represented Harris Funeral Homes, didn’t respond to the Blade’s request to comment on the consent decree.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

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Bidens should first live in Blair House

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When Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president on Jan. 20, 2021, he and Dr. Jill Biden should move into Blair House, the president’s guesthouse, for a few weeks while the White House living quarters are fumigated and fixed up. There is nothing like making a clean break with the past and ‘clean’ is the operative word. Maybe by the time the Bidens move into the White House they will have gotten the vaccine to protect them from the coronavirus, but you can never be too careful. The Trumps will be adding to the problem with their planned super-spreader Christmas parties and other events.

Getting rid of Trump reminders may take some time. While he didn’t take the solid gold toilet offered by the Guggenheim Museum and its creator after the museum turned down his request to borrow a Van Gogh, pictures of Trump’s apartment in New York indicate there will be many other garish touches the Bidens will surely want to get rid of.

The Blair House is just across the street and though I understand there is no underground passage to the White House he could be driven across the street each morning to use the Oval Office, which will be easier and quicker to fumigate.

In all seriousness there will be many things the new president will have to deal with and I am sure there will be surprises the Trump administration leaves he will only uncover when he and his administration are in office. There are all kinds of shenanigans Trump may try with his right-wing know-nothings in the remaining weeks. The new schedule F category of federal employees just one of them.

It is clear Biden will not get all his Cabinet nominees approved right away and some Republicans in the Senate will never vote to confirm, which makes it all the more crucial Democrats win the two run-off races in Georgia to take back the majority.

Trump may play fast and loose with foreign policy before he is out of office potentially leaving Biden with more than one major crisis, like Iran, to deal with immediately.

While Republicans had no problem adding to the deficit the past four years they will likely return to claiming to be deficit hawks to stymie Democratic proposals needed to stimulate the economy. This could endanger the host of issues Democrats said they would deal with, including college loan forgiveness, programs to ensure more judicial and economic equality, LGBTQ+ rights, climate issues and stimulus money for states and cities to avoid massive layoffs.

Biden will have to deal with issues in the Democratic Party. One will be crafting a message in preparation for the 2022 mid-term elections. There was an interesting column in the New York Times on why Democrats while winning the presidency lost most of their down-ballot races. Losing statehouses, state legislatures and city councils. It suggested if we allow the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Justice Democrats and Democratic Socialists to set the messaging for the party we will lose both the Senate and the House of Representatives in 2022. While I favor many of the programs espoused by the progressive left they must recognize how the country votes and how the country views their proposals as currently presented. They will not make progress toward what they want if the messaging doesn’t change.

It’s not a matter of appeasing independents or Republicans, or becoming “Republican lite” as some call it. Rather it is developing messages that speak to people in a language they can accept and support.

We have moved many of the voters we need forward on social issues, which Republicans once used to scare them. They are now more comfortable with marriage equality and recognize there is systemic racism. We moved them on those issues and we can move them on others but they clearly aren’t ready to swallow the apple whole. We have to figure out how to get them to take it a bite at a time and enjoy it if we want to reach our goals. If we do that we can have a more equitable society and “form a more perfect union” with a clean environment and with respect for each other.

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12/2/20 11:17 AM

EARL D. FOWLKES, JR. is president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity.

Importing drugs endangers lives Exposes millions of Americans to potentially counterfeit meds

On most issues, Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided. But there’s one policy that unites both parties — prescription drug importation.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration issued an executive order enabling states and individuals to import cheaper medications from foreign countries. The Biden camp has similarly voiced support for allowing Americans to buy drugs from Canada.

Both parties have good intentions. Making medicines more affordable for patients is a goal nearly everyone shares. But importation isn’t the right solution. It would expose millions of Americans to potentially counterfeit medications while offering few, if any, actual savings.

The FDA’s drug approval process is the gold standard in ensuring that medicines are safe and effective. But imported drugs wouldn’t go through that process — the FDA lacks the resources to subject them to the same rigorous scrutiny. And while there are plenty of legitimate online pharmacies in Canada, there are also plenty of scammers looking to make an easy buck by shipping bottles of fake pills to vulnerable Americans.

That’s why four former FDA commissioners sent a letter to Congress highlighting the dangers of circumventing our nation’s drug supply chain, which is currently the safest in the world. They warned that importing drugs would “harm patients and consumers and compromise the carefully constructed system that guards the safety of our nation’s medical products.”

Canadian health officials agree that importation could endanger American patients.

They’ve previously warned that Canada will “not assure that products being sold to U.S. citizens are safe, effective, and of high quality.” The FDA itself openly states that it “cannot ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs that it has not approved.”

This lack of oversight means that many “Canadian drugs,” which often originate in other countries and are merely shipped through Canada, are adulterated. One FDA study found that 85 percent of confiscated drugs that were supposedly imported from Canada were actually manufactured in 27 other countries. Of those drugs, many didn’t include English instructions, and some were counterfeits.

Counterfeit drugs pose a significant danger to patients here in the United States, especially the most vulnerable populations. Sixty percent of Americans suffer from chronic diseases that require regular adherence to medication. Communities of color, who suffer from chronic illness at higher rates than do white Americans, face even higher risks.

As someone who suffers from hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, I’m keenly aware of the perils of receiving counterfeit medicines. Over the years, some Americans have illegally imported medicines from what they thought were legitimate Canadian pharmacies, but the drugs turned out to have no active ingredients, or worse, contained toxic substances. If patients take ineffective drugs that amount to little more than sugar pills, their chronic conditions could spiral out of control.

Even if importation were completely safe — and it isn’t — it wouldn’t save Americans nearly as much money as proponents believe. That’s because Canada has no interest, and no ability, to act as America’s pharmacy.

There are simply too many American patients. Americans fill 4.5 billion prescriptions annually. Canada’s population is about 90 percent smaller than the U.S. population, so demand from the United States could overwhelm the Canadian drug market in just 38 days, according to one study. More than 1,500 drugs sit on Canada’s drug shortage list — the Canadian healthcare system hardly has the bandwidth to support billions of new requests from Americans.

That’s why Canadian patient groups have urged their leaders not to facilitate any largescale drugs exports to the United States. And those leaders are listening. According to an internal briefing from the Canadian foreign ministry, Canada would “not support actions that could adversely affect the supply of prescription drugs in Canada.”

Drug importation, though well intentioned, is doomed to fail and could endanger many Americans’ health. It’s up to a Biden administration to reverse course and either rescind the Trump administration’s importation rule, or at the very least, instruct the FDA to not approve any state applications for importation programs.

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An embossed solid beech wood rolling pin makes a great gift for the baker in your life.

(Photo courtesy embossedco.com)

The We Are Beautiful cocktail ring benefits Southerners on New Ground.

(Photo courtesy pharaoun.com)

The Rainbow Safety Razor adds a splash of queer panache to your Dopp kit.

(Photo courtesy manufacturer)

The ultimate guide to queer gift giving 2020 Ideas for all tastes and budgets

By MIKEY ROX

In a year filled with more craziness than any of us ever expected, at least we have the holidays. What will they look like this year? Bright, beautiful and back to basics. Treat yourself and your loved ones to these come-on-be-happy presents hand-picked for LGBTQ+ friends and family.

We Are Beautiful Ring

Sustainable Swabs and Tissues

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Pot for Pot Kit

There wasn’t much glitter or glam in The Year That Wasn’t, but you can change that.

One-hundred percent of proceeds from Pharoun’s 22k gold, rainbow-edged We Are Beautiful cocktail ring (also available in sterling silver) will benefit civil-rights organization Southerners on New Ground. $115-$145; pharaoun.com

Pot for Pot DIY cannabis growing kits produce up to eight ounces of ganj in 80 days so you can turn your kitchen, patio or desk with natural or artificial light into a money-saving personal dispensary. Ships to all 50 states – and states of mind. $100; apotforpot.com

Therapeutic Journal

Taste the rainbow of a foot-high sweets tower from Dylan’s Candy Bar – including bears (gummy ones, of course), Razzmataz rainbow bites, red Australian licorice, and sour poppers (not the kind you’re used to) – packaged in striped, tiered boxes and tied with a bow. $50; dylanscandybar.com

Stressed? Join the club – if clubs were a thing right now. Until then, try the Write Here & Tear therapeutic journal, which encourages users to jot down their troubles then tear ’em up. Journaling and paper tearing have proven results, too, with 55 percent of survey respondents reporting relief, and another 35 percent relaxation. $20; shop.nicolerussell. com

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No, this card game isn’t based on Donald Trump’s presidency – not entirely, at least – but it will provide hours of fun trying to identify and fools others with bizarre, surprising, and unpredictable trivia. Easy to play virtually over Zoom, too. $15; thegamecrafter.com

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You can file the bright and radiant Don Q Reserve 7 aged Puerto Rican rum under “Fucking Necessary,” and serve it on the rocks at this year’s six-feet-from-insanity holiday party. $25, donq.com

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Pride celebrations were largely cancelled this year – because what wasn’t – but you can shine on anytime of year, queer, with a Funko Pop! Pride stocking stuffer in the form of verified gay-con Spongebob Squarepants. $11; funko.com

Heated Towel Rack

Yeedi’s K650 automated vacuum – boasting bigger suction, less noise, high-efficiency filtration, and made of durable anti-scratch tempered glass – lessens the Cinderell-y workload while you work from home. $220; amazon.com

Made by and for the LGBTQ+ community, the Queer Agenda card game prompts players to participate in rowdy dares and answer inappropriate questions – because you’re goddamn right it should. $25; fitzgames.com Imprint whimsical holiday scenes – including detailed snowflakes, trees and reindeer – onto sugar cookies, pie crusts, and even pastas from solid beech wood rolling pins that’ll give Martha a run for her baking-maven money. $35; embossedco.com Iridescent anodized zinc and brass alloy add a splash of queer panache to your Dopp kit on a safety razor – can’t be too careful in 2020 – that changes appearance depending how light hits it. $30; shave.net Spas and bathhouses were but a memory this year, but you can bask in hot hugs from the comfort of your own home. This heated towel rack keeps your fluffy terrys dry and 90 percent more hygienic between washes – an appreciated feature during a COVID-19 Christmas. $500+; bathroombutleronline.com

Holiday Icon Dessert Set

Set your socially distanced dessert table in style with Molly Hatch’s modern heirloom ceramic plates and mugs featuring matching icon prints of candy canes, Christmas trees, gingerbread folx, holly, ice skates, and snowflakes. $16-$18 each; mollyhatch.com 1 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0

Craft Caribbean Rum

Spongebob Pride Pop!

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Fourteen-karat-gold evil-eye earrings encrusted with .08 carats of diamonds will provide cheeky edge to a New Year’s Eve look that’s not lookin’ back. 2021 or bust, baby! $260; styletypology.com (MIKEY ROX is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He lives in his van, ho-ho-hoing around the country. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.)

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Wild, wild West

NINA WEST says being on ‘Drag Race’ was a life-changing experience.

(Photo courtesy West)

‘Drag Race’ vet recreates classic John Waters characters in new holiday video

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO | joeyd@washblade.com

Nina West has two new videos she’s unleashed on the world.

In “Cha Cha Heels” she pays homage to John Waters playing iconic characters from three of his movies — Dawn Davenport in “Female Trouble,” Beverly Sutphin in “Serial Mom” and Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray.” The song is from her 2019 Christmas EP “The West Christmas Ever.”

And in “Quarantine Dream” she worked with friend and Disney animator Dan Lund, a veteran of many classic movies such as “Frozen,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and more, to mix live action/animation for the West-penned song about coping with COVID-19 induced quarantine. The three-and-a-half-minute mini-musical was filmed with a cell phone and inspired by the Disney classic “Mary Poppins.” Both are on YouTube.

West, aka Andrew Levitt, is a Columbus, Ohio-based drag performer who came to fame on season 11 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” where she finished sixth and was named Miss Congeniality.

She made history at the 2019 Emmys for being the first to walk the red carpet in drag and was named one of the “most powerful drag queens in America” by New York Magazine the same year. West, 42, has been performing for 18 years.

WASHINGTON BLADE: So how did the concept for the “Cha Cha Heels” video come about?

NINA WEST: I’d had this big idea of a big flash mob and this huge cast and filming in the street with a bunch of people and then COVID hit. So the intention was always to do a “Cha Cha Heels” video, but we had to really adjust quickly when the time came to pull the trigger and film the video because (of restrictions). I worked with a really great director, who is a tremendous John Waters fan named Brad Hammer, and he suggested doing three different female characters in three different John Waters movies. … We filmed it with a cast of four including myself, all people were already in my bubble, so we made all the adjustments we needed to make to have a safe shoot and went there and I think the video ended up being much better for it.

BLADE: Where was it shot?

WEST: We shot it in a day in two locations here in Columbus.

BLADE: Do you have to get permission from Waters or whomever owns the films before you do something like this or is it considered a parody and thus fair game?

WEST: Yeah, it’s seen as parody so you don’t have to get a green light really. We weren’t recreating it shot by shot or telling the same story but we were lucky enough that when John saw it last week, he sent me an e-mail … saying how much he loved it and how much Divine would have loved it … so that was pretty fantastic.

BLADE: Oh wow, that must have been incredible.

WEST: I practically fell over, yeah. I’m 42 so queer Andrew coming out, John Waters movies were a huge rite of passage just as I was coming into my queerness. I wanted this to be a love letter to a queer trailblazer who has had more impact and power than I think any of us really recognize.

BLADE: Tell us about “Quarantine Dream.” How do you know Dan Lund?

WEST: I worked with him on a project called “Coaster” where he was the executive producer and we have remained in touch. He’s one of these people who’s just always talking and dreaming. His brain is constantly rolling. The day after I flew home in March, he called ….

NINA WEST channels Divine in a scene from her new video ‘Cha Cha Heels,” an homage to ‘Female Trouble.’

(Photo by Staley Munro)

BLADE: Where had you been?

WEST: I was on tour in Europe and then I was going back and forth from New York to L.A. working on a couple projects and I ended up in New York and I was supposed to be going to the opening of the Broadway musical “Six,” but the day it was supposed to open everything was shut down. I was panicking trying to get a flight home.

BLADE: Oh wow.

2 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0 • A &E

WEST: Yeah. So he suggested this and I was like, “Sure, um, OK.” I didn’t really know what he meant but then he pitched this whole treatment inspired by “Mary Poppins,” which I’m a huge, through-and-through Disney queen and “Mary Poppins” is my favorite film of all time, so when you have a Disney artist who’s worked on all these cultural touchstones, yeah, OK, I’m not gonna say no. That’s how it happened. I worked with a songwriter Markaholic who is super prolific. If you’ve seen the RuPaul Old Navy commercials, he wrote that song, he’s worked with Ru a lot and is just super talented.

BLADE: So you basically are encouraging people to take the pandemic seriously but in a fun way?

WEST: Yes. We thought it was a fun way to say, “Hey, it sucks, but let’s all stay home and like instead of having the fatigue, maybe we can just take a step back and dream a little bit. We’re gonna get through this. We were gonna release it earlier in the year, but we felt like it wouldn’t have as much impact but now here we are, oddly enough, going into round two and people are getting more sick than ever before and this fatigue of anger and frustration has settled in … so I think the message it sends if very different than it would have been six months ago.

BLADE: How different has your year been?

WEST: Oh my god, I started off with a full calendar and full plate and watched it all disappear.

Some things are being rescheduled, some things have been canceled, some things are being reimagined. I hate the word pivot, but that’s kind of what we’ve all been doing. …. I never thought I would be doing drag primarily by phone for almost a year of my life (laughs).

BLADE: Who was your favorite season 11 celebrity guest judge on “Drag Race”?

WEST: Oh my gosh, I really love Bobby Moynihan. I’m an SNL fanatic so he was on my season. I also was really gagged when we had Lena Waithe and Wanda Sykes. That was the episode I went home, but it was still pretty awesome because I’m gigantic fans of both of them.

BLADE: What was your favorite challenge?

WEST: Probably the magic challenge. It was supremely challenging but it allowed me to show off all my skills in one 10-minute segment. I was glad I got that in before I went home.

Some of them were really hard, just really, really arduous. “Trump the Rusical” was so hard.

When they say it’s the drag Olympics, it really is.

BLADE: You were a fan of the show a long time before you were on it. What seemed the most different seeing it all in real life vs. watching it on TV? WEST: Oh wow, my brain is going in like 17 different directions. It was all overwhelming.

You never forget walking into the workroom for the first time. … Also seeing RuPaul for the first time is really overwhelming. People always ask why we always react so wildly seeing him walk in the workroom. It’s the same person coming through the same door and you know it’s gonna happen, but he really is just so larger than life, I don’t know how else to explain it. He’s so magnetic and so those moments to me were always supremely overwhelming.

BLADE: I can imagine that.

WEST: One thing I didn’t expect that wasn’t so great was realizing later that there are parts of the fandom that are extremely toxic. When I was eliminated and saw the anger and disgust and vitriol and poison directed at Silky (Nutmeg Ganache), that was surprising. It’s not the show’s fault but there are sections of the fandom that cultivates and allows itself to breed this incestuous, toxic hate.

work collectively to pull ourselves out of this any way we can.

BLADE: Are you and the queens from your season all constantly on group text and Zoom and all that. Whom are you closest with?

WEST: Yeah, I’m in touch with several people from my season. I talk to Silky, I talk to Brooke Lynn (Hytes). I talk to Vanjie once in a while. … Those relationships from that six-week experience, I can’t explain it — you come to rely on these people in a whole other way. It’s not something tangible or that you can even explain. It’s very life changing to go through that together.

BLADE: What’s gonna happen with season 13? Did they do something this summer?

WEST: I don’t know anything official but yesterday I saw a casting call for season 14 so that tells me season 13 must be in the can. I think it’s like full speed ahead for “Drag Race,” which is great because we all love to watch it and fall in love with new people.

ANDREW LEVITT, Nina West’s alter ego.

(Photo courtesy West)

BLADE: What are your plans for the holidays?

WEST: My parents live about 10 minutes away from me so we talked about maybe doing a quarantine for two weeks then a rapid test before Christmas, and I’m willing to do that, but my siblings and I are all just trying to be super responsible so we may just do a Zoom Christmas. I know it’s really hard but I think it’s important for all of us to

BLADE: You auditioned many times before you got on.

Was it discouraging or were you just that tenacious you weren’t gonna be deterred or what?

WEST: Oh no, no, no. (laughs) I’m positive but girl, I’m not that positive. I was broken. It really broke me. My last audition was authentically gonna be my last audition and I don’t even remember who said this to me but on of the production people said it had been stated that, “Nina is either on this season or she’s not, this is the last time we’re watching these tapes.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I think we all just felt it had come to like a shit-orget-off-the-pot type moment. I had to move on with my life in a way. I wanted it so badly and for so many years it just was not happening. Finally my last time, I was the most like, “I don’t care, let’s just get it done, whatever,” and that was the one that got me on. So I think tenacity is one thing, but wearing them down is another.

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CALENDAR

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON made a national name for herself during the 2020 Democratic primaries with her spiritual rhetoric on the campaign trail.

By Parker Purifoy

TODAY

Friday Tea Time is a virtual social gathering at 2 p.m. for older LGBTQ adults via Zoom. Participants are encouraged to bring their beverage of choice while socializing with friends. For more information, visit thedccenter.org/events.

The Wharf is continuing its pop-up movie series on Transit Pier with holiday movies this weekend. Attendees will get a private fire pit and 20inch television to watch movies like Home Alone, The Grinch, A Christmas Story, and Elf. Showing times are at either 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. Each fire pit seats four people and parties should reserve their fire pit in advance.

More information can be found on The Wharf’s Facebook page.

Saturday, December 5

The LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will meet at 1 p.m. to provide an outlet for LGBTQ people of color to talk about anything affecting them. For the Zoom link to the meeting, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Center Global is holding its monthly business meeting today at 12 p.m. To learn more about volunteering, please contact Michael Airhart at mairhart@thedccenter.org

Monday, December 7

LGBT Older Adults and friends are invited to join the DC Center at 10 a.m. for a Center Aging Coffee Drop-In. For more information visit thedccenter.org and Center Aging on social media.

Tuesday, December 8

Coming Out Discussion Group will hold a session at 7 p.m. It is a peer-facilitated group designed to create a safe space to share experiences about coming out. For more information go to thedccenter.org/events.

The DC Center is holding its bi-monthly Trans Support Group session today at 7 p.m. The group is intended to create an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity. Visit thedccenter.org/ events for more details.

The last week of Queer Trivia Night at A League of Her Own is tonight at 7 p.m. It will be conducted via Google Hangouts and participants can play individually or in groups of up to six. More information can be found at ALOHO’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, December 9

Virtual Job Club meets today at 6 p.m. via Zoom. This weekly support program helps job seekers improve their self-confidence, resilience and motivation needed for effective job searching and networking. Discussions include strategies, techniques and goal plans needed to find meaningful and satisfying employment. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The Human Rights Campaign is partnering with Trans Can Work for “Who’s Hiring!

Web Series For Trans Job-seekers.” The bi-weekly web series to connect transgender and non-binary job seekers with opportunities and resources will begin at 3 p.m. For more information, visit HRC.im/WhosHiring

Thursday, December 10

The DC Transmasculine Society is hosting a transmasculine game night starting at 7 p.m. This month’s game is Among US, a popular online multiplayer game. The game night is primarily for transmasculine and nonbinary people but friends, partners, and allies of any gender are welcome. For more information, go to DCATS.org 2 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0 • A &E

OUT&ABOUT Williamson joins Busboys and Poets for virtual event The 14th Street restaurant Busboys and Poets is holding a virtual conversation with former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson as part of its weekly series “Busboys and Friends: A Virtual Dinner Party” Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. The dinner conversation will be hosted by CEO and founder of the restaurant Andy Shallal. Williamson, who rose to fame during her unsuccessful bid to become the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, is also a bestselling author, political activist, and spiritual thought leader. She also founded Project Angel Food, a non-profit that has brought more than 13 million meals to ill and dying homebound HIV/AIDS patients since its creation in 1989.

Guests are encouraged to order a takeout meal from the restaurant and enjoy the conversation from the comfort and safety of their own homes. To RSVP and receive the Zoom link, go to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Public lands, climate change experts to host webinar The Wilderness Society is coordinating a webinar to focus on public lands and the impact of climate change scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. During the webinar, the moderator—Juan Pérez Sáez, energy and climate campaign manager at The Wilderness Society—will talk with leaders of community-based organizations in California, Colorado, and New Mexico who are looking for ways to use public land to combat climate change.

The panelists include Cynthia Naha, director of natural resources for the Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico. She is a member of the Hopi Tribe and is Tewa and Ihanktowan Dakota Oyate. Naha has worked for the last 20 years to make sure that the tribal communities she works with strike a balance between environmental protection and public health and safety.

Another panelist is Catherine Garoupa White, executive director of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition in California. In her position, Garoupa White is leading policy advocacy for clean air in the San Joaquin Valley. She has 15 years of policy advocacy experience and has also worked as a community organizer. Additionally, she has taught college classes on social work, geography, and community and regional development and is a current lecturer at Columbia College and CSU Stanislaus.

The third panelist is Beatriz Soto, program director of Defiende Nuestra Tierra, a Wilderness Workshop program based in Colorado to utilize Latinx voices to protect public land. Soto, who grew up in Mexico, has focused her work on community projects with a speciality in environmental and social justice topics. In her current job, she looks to uplift the Latinx populations in her region.

For more information, visit the Wilderness Society’s Facebook page.

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Ford’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ moves to radio

WAMU to host broadcast due to COVID restrictions

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

When Ford’s Theatre realized it couldn’t reopen in time to mount the annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” they looked to another medium to keep a 33-year-old Washington holiday tradition going.

Not only a beloved institution but also a financial boon that dependabl sells + La r g e s t LG BT o w n e d t i t l e c o m p a n y out for six weeks annually, “A Christmas + Bi l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s i n t r a n s a c t i o n s c l o s e d a n n u a l l y Carol” is a genuine mainstay for Ford’s. + 6in h o u s e a t t o r n e y s “We were hoping we could make it work with social distancing and smaller capacity + Re s i d e n t i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l t r a n s a c t i o n s audiences,” says Paul Tetreault, director of + In home and in office refinance settlements Ford’s Theatre. “But shortly after Labor Day, the writing was on the wall.” + Li c e n s e d i n DC, DE, MD, NJ , VA & W V The Ford’s creative team went feverishly to work on how to move forward with an engaging, alternative way to present the mid-nineteenth century ghost story starring D.C. actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly old Londoner who changes his coldhearted ways after a series CRAIG WALLACE as Ebenezer Scrooge. of chilling yet illuminative Christmas Eve (Photo by Carol Rosegg) visits from three very disparate spirits.

‘A Christmas Carol’ Ford’s Theatre | Fords.org he team s first thou ht was to ma e an audio version available to patrons via website. But Tetreault had another plan. He thought, “If we’re going to go to all the trouble of recording why not try and get it on the radio like an old-fashioned radio play? It would be Ford’s gift to area listeners.”

After hitting some dead ends, Tetreault reached out to Murray Horwitz who runs “The Big Broadcast,” a weekly show of vintage radio programming on WAMU, Washington’s National Public Radio station. Horwitz and the station were soon on board with Horwitz in the role of narrator and a broadcast date set for noon on Christmas Day. “So little good has come out of this pandemic. There’s just been one frustration after another adds ord s out director his is one of those times when two reat non profit institutions can partner and bring some cheer to DMV audiences. I’m thrilled about it.”

Radio is new territory for the historic theater. Adapted and directed by Michael Wilson with sound design and original music from John Gromada along with expert help from Ford’s stage management team, the project has come together with few hitches and many unforeseen delights, says Tetreault.

At two acts in one hour, the radio play is shorter than its in-person counterpart. “The script is tighter, but it captures so many familiar elements,” says Tetreault. “And the actors have done a brilliant job in conveying characters with just audio.”

Naturally, the pandemic presented unique challenges. While many cast members recorded their parts remotely from home, those who recorded at Ford’s were set up alone in separate rooms. Most were scheduled on their own day so that the room could be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between each actor.

Radio plays typically can get by on a skeleton cast, but Ford’s is using the 18 actors originally AD VERT I S I NG PR OOF signed for this year’s stage version whether they have two or 200 lines. (In addition to Wallace ISSUE DATE: 171208 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: as Scrooge, the 18-person cast includes Stephen F. Schmidt, Rayanne Gonzales, and out actor Tom Story.)

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of “While it’s not six weeks of work, it’s a way to say way to say we’re important, you matter, we the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users want to keep this going,” says Tetreault. can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or ONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any And while listeners will need to imagine the top hats, Christmas turkeys, boughs of holly, copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair GO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, and ustine c oral in hi h above ord s sta e as the pirit of hristmas Past etreault or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE S washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement, is certain the audio version more than holds its own, especially now. by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations payment and insertion schedule. and warranties.

“After the year we’ve had, the radio play will be real tonic. It will make people remember we had great times before and we’re going to have great times again. And it’s things like ‘A M-TH 11:30AM-10PM • F-SAT 11:30AM-11PM SUN. BRUNCH 11AM-3PM / DINNER 3-10PM Christmas Carol’ that are going to get us through.”

“A Christmas Carol” will be made available: to Ford’s Theatre Members on Dec. 7; to the public on Dec. 14, via the Ford’s Theatre website, fords.org/carol-radio; broadcast on WAMU 322 MASS. AVE. NE • 202.543.7656 88.5 FM (D.C. area) Dec. 25 at noon ET. And WAMU will make the broadcast available to other public media stations nationwide throughout December.

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VIRTUAL CELEBRATION & AWARDS CEREMONY State of Our Union Greetings by Billy Porter & Betty Buckley

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additional special guests to be announced

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020, 7-9PM SUPER BENEFACTOR $10,000 • BENEFACTOR $5,000 • PATRON $1,000 • SPONSOR $500 SUPPORTER $250 • MEMBER $100 • COVID-19 LIMITED INCOME $40 To be added on forthcoming invitation and for tickets and information:: (917) 553-7180 or e-mail aroskoff @ mac.com Pay online at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jofall2020 Or pay by check to Jim Owles Democrats. Mail to Allen Roskoff: 450 W 17 th Street #2405 - New York, NY 10011

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Size:

Obama memoir addresses evolution on LGBTQ rights

4.625" x 10.5" 4C

‘A Promised Land’ packed with wit, insights

By KATHI WOLFE

Most memoirs of politicians are pablum — ghost-written snooze-inducers. At best, good door-stops.

“A Promised Land,” former President Barack Obama’s new memoir, breaks that mold. Though it’s over 700 pages, you won’t be tempted to turn away from this, by turns, measured, moving, detailed, witty, and self-aware volume. The memoir, narrated

by Obama, is a great listen (29 hours, 10 minutes) on Audible.

Unlike most politicos, Obama can write!

Many of us ink-stained wretches would give anything to have his writing chops. Obama’s first book, “Dreams from My Father,” Obama’s critically acclaimed 1995 coming-of-age memoir, came out years before he was a player on the national political stage.

Like many, I knew some of the highlights of Obama’s life before I picked up “A Promised Land”: his spouse and best friend Michelle, his daughters, his dog Bo, his rapid rise from Illinois state senator to U.S. senator to president of the United States.

As a lesbian, I knew of the many things

By Barack Obama that Obama and his administration did to c.2020, Crown | $45/768 pages support LGBTQ rights – from issuing Pride proclamations to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” At his last press conference, Obama called on Blade reporter Chris Johnson to ask a question. (Obama was the first U.S. president to call on a LGBTQ press reporter at a press conference.) No wonder many of us think of Obama as the “first gay president.”

If this memoir had been hacked out by a ghostwriter for a typical politico (even a queerfriendly politico), I’d probably just skim through it. But, because of Obama’s superb writing, the breadth of his thinking and the wide-ranging events of his administration (from his meetings with foreign leaders to the passage of the Affordable Care Act), I was hooked from the get-go on “A Promised Land.” The Republican opposition to his every move (no matter how bipartisan he tries to be) is an underlying theme.

“For a month, Michelle and I slept late, ate leisurely dinners, went for long walks, swam in the ocean, took stock,” Obama writes in the memoir’s preface of what life was like for him and Michelle after he left office in January 2017, “replenished our friendship, rediscovered our love, and planned for a less eventful but hopefully no less satisfying second act.”

No way could I stop reading after that!

“A Promised Land” is the first of two volumes. It begins with a preface in which Obama says he wants to give an “honest rendering” of the events that happened on his watch and ends with the death of Osama bin Laden.

The first third of the memoir is about his life before he becomes president. Here, Obama writes of his family, youth, college years, law school life, how he met Michelle, his time as a community organizer and political campaigns.

Obama writes personally about his evolving attitudes toward LGBTQ rights. He believes that the “American family” includes LGBTQ people and immigrants. “How could I believe otherwise, when some of the same arguments for their exclusion had so often been used to exclude those who looked like me?” Obama writes.

But, he doesn’t, he writes, dismiss those with differing views on queers and immigrants as bigots. He remembers that his own beliefs weren’t always so “enlightened.”

“I grew up in the 1970s, a time when LGBTQ life was far less visible to those outside the community,” Obama writes.

His Aunt Arlene, “felt obliged to introduce her partner of twenty years as ‘my close friend Marge’ whenever she visited us in Hawaii,” he recalls.

When Obama was a teen, he and his peers used anti-gay slurs. “And like many teenage boys in those years, my friends and I sometimes threw around words like ‘fag’ or ‘gay’ at each other as casual put downs,” Obama writes, “callow attempts to fortify our masculinity and hide our insecurities.”

After nearly four years of Donald Trump, it’s a pleasure to read a presidential memoir written with intelligence, wit, and insight. Whether you’re a political junkie, a lover of gossip or a fan of engaging writing, “A Promised Land” will leave you wanting more.

‘A Promised Land’

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TRAVEL

Escape (safely) to Baltimore’s luxurious Ivy Hotel A sumptuous stay and unforgettable meal await in Charm City

By KEVIN NAFF | knaff@washblade.com

After months in quarantine, canceled summer vacations, and renewed COVID-related restrictions on entertainment, we’re all suffering from cabin fever and dreading the pending winter.

Although a Caribbean trip or European jaunt won’t be in the cards this year, there are some escapes closer to home that can be safe in these uncertain and stressful times.

One such getaway is just 30 miles north of D.C. at the Ivy Hotel in Baltimore.

To describe the Ivy as a “hotel” is something of a misnomer. It feels more like you’re going to visit your wealthy aunt at her mansion in the city. After all, there’s no noisy registration desk or crowded lobby scene to navigate. Instead, guests are greeted outside as the valet parks your car. A short elevator ride later and a friendly staffer is welcoming you by name with a glass of Champagne in front of a roaring fire.

A pleasant chat with the concierge is all that approximates the usual crude check-in process at a larger hotel. While sipping that glass of Champagne, you stroll the main floor of the Ivy and its multiple formal rooms. There’s a well-stocked library, a billiards room, the piano, a quiet courtyard, and, of course, the bar, which is open noon to midnight — fully stocked, self-serve, and complimentary. A gorgeous wood-paneled formal dining room is available for private parties, whenever larger gatherings are again permitted.

The mansion that is now the Ivy is located at the corner of Biddle and North Calvert Streets and was commissioned in 1889 by John Gilman, a wealthy banker and industrialist, according to the hotel. Gilman died before construction was complete and the mansion changed hands several times until it was gifted to the Baltimore Parks and Recreation Department. After sitting vacant for years, the mansion came back to life in the 1980s, when iconic Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer used it to host dignitaries. Today, the Ivy has undergone a complete renovation, restoring it to its grand origins with leaded glass windows, 23 fireplaces, green marble, and a soaring staircase.

There are just 18 rooms in the hotel so the experience is intimate and familiar. Unpack quickly, because afternoon tea starts at 2 p.m. We took our tea outside on an unusually warm fall afternoon overlooking the courtyard. An impressive selection of teas is offered along with small sandwiches and fresh scones served with honey butter and preserves.

After that indulgence, we decided to walk off some calories and took a stroll to Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood, about two miles south near the Inner Harbor. We stop for a quick drink overlooking the water before calling for the Ivy’s car service to pick us up. The service is a free perk for guests for rides within a three-mile radius of the hotel. The driver politely declines our tip as the Ivy is a non-tipping property, except for the restaurant.

Back inside our room (the original master bedroom of the mansion) there’s a bottle of pinot noir and two red wine glasses on a table at the foot of the bed. Inside a cabinet are more snacks, all complimentary, including a selection of savory and sweet nibbles, waters, and even Kombucha. But we forgo the snacking as dinner awaits at the acclaimed Magdalena A view inside the main floor of the Ivy Hotel.

(Photo courtesy Ivy Hotel)

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The rear of the Ivy Hotel with a view of the walled courtyard and third-floor spa.

(Photo courtesy Ivy Hotel)

just downstairs. We dress early for our reservation to allow a little time downstairs for a game of pool.

The restaurant recently transformed its menu, offering bistro-style fare inspired by French and English dishes but infused with a distinctly local sensibility. Ingredients are locally sourced with many selections from the Chesapeake Bay. The tables are safely spaced and everyone’s in a mask, of course. To start, try the souffle suissesse with gruyere and toasted hazelnuts or a dozen fresh oysters. The new menu from award-winning chef Mark Levy is revamped and approachable with an Eastern Shore lump crab cake, seared Maine scallops, and an autumn pork chop with grilled apples and bacon dressing. Entrees run $23-35, a steal given the quality of the ingredients and the refined ambience.

The Ivy also boasts an inviting spa with all the treatments you’d expect — massages (including in-room), facials, and a menu of body treatments like the lemon verbena body polish ($200 for 60 minutes).

The Ivy has taken extreme measures to ensure guest safety during the pandemic after closing in late March and reopening in October. A fully refundable cancellation policy within 48 hours of your reservation is in effect until Dec. 31. An exhaustive list of COVID safety protocols is found on the Ivy website. Local businesses like the Ivy need customer support and rest assured that you can enjoy a safe stay here.

The Ivy is offering a holiday special through Jan. 31; one-night stay with a spiked hot cocoa for two with afternoon tea, a hot toddy foot ritual for two in the spa, and $150 toward dinner at Magdalena. Rates start at $1,074.66 If you’re looking for a little pampering and a splurge, consider a night or weekend at the Ivy and dinner at Magdalena. Not only will you feel a world away from home, you’ll be contributing to the local economy and supporting a local small business. No activity these days is 100 percent safe, but a stay at the Ivy makes for a restful, memorable respite. Visit theivybaltimore.com for more information and to make a reservation.

An Ivy Hotel guest room.

(Photo courtesy Ivy Hotel)

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3 2 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA DE.COM • D ECEMBER 04, 2020

Thanks to Ryan Murphy, Netflix throws an inclusive ‘Prom’ A queer story with mainstream pop appeal

By JOHN PAUL KING

According to Ryan Murphy, he wanted to make a film version of “The Prom” since the moment he saw it on Broadway.

Watching the new Netflix movie that resulted from that spark of inspiration, it’s not hard to see why. The musical, which found a hardcore fan audience despite a less-thanprofitable Broadway run, is a piece that is a perfect match for the entertainment mogul’s brand, a frothy mix that exists on the thin line between camp and hokum, blending sharpedged wit with inspirational sentiment and over-the-top farce with activism. It’s a queer story with mainstream pop appeal that leans heavily into a love of All Things Broadway.

Unless there was also a serial killer thrown in somewhere, how could anything be more Ryan Murphy than that?

There was more behind Murphy’s enthusiasm for the piece than just a savvy selection of tailor-made grist for the entertainment mill that is his contract with Netflix, however.

As an LGBTQ person who grew up in a small Indiana town himself, the show-biz powerhouse found a personal connection to its story of an Indiana teen who has to fight against the homophobia of her small town community in order to take her girlfriend to their high school prom.

It spoke to his own memories and hopes – and as it turns out, that heart connection is the ingredient that makes his translated-to-film version of “The Prom” much better than it probably deserves to be.

Inspired by the real-life experience of Mississippi high schooler Constance McMillen, the story centers on Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman), an out lesbian senior whose plan to take her secret girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) to the prom is thwarted by her school’s PTA-mandated no-samesex-date policy. Her cause is taken up by a group of downon-their-luck Broadway actors — including a famous but fading diva (Meryl Streep) and her GBF (James Corden) — whose co-starring turn in a musical based on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt has just closed after only a single performance. They hit upon the scheme of creating an activist cause around her in order to garner some careerboosting publicity.

Along with Emma’s supportive principal (Keegan-Michael Key), they succeed in forcing the school to hold an inclusive prom; but when the PTA president (Kerry Washington) uses a loophole to shut Emma out anyway, the cadre of showfolk will have to dive deeper than their own self-centered motivations if they are going to be able to make things right again and score a decisive win against homophobia in the

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heart of small-town America.

As written by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin (with the latter providing lyrics to music by Matthew Sklar), the musical is unabashedly designed to be a crowd-pleaser, full of comedy and heart, with just enough drama to make it mean something and a message only a bigot could refute; the score, spiced up with youthful flourishes but nevertheless grounded in a stylistic base that is pure traditional Broadway, is exuberant and infectious, and allows plenty of opportunity for the kind of show-stopping dance numbers that make an evening of live musical theater an experience quite unlike any other.

Presumably out of a desire to maintain the integrity of the show’s original voice, producer-director Murphy enlisted the trio of original writers to adapt their work to the screen; the result is an expanded but mostly faithful reimagining that maintains the bones of its stage-bound architecture while also deepening some of its more sensitive moments with the kind of embellishment made possible by cinematic technique and a no-expense-spared budget.

That budget is also behind the film’s other biggest asset, a stellar dream cast headed by Streep and Corden, with Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells in close support – all in addition to the other talented stars mentioned above.

It’s clear this high-profile ensemble is having a blast in their roles; Streep is in fine form, as always, and Corden is capable of charming us in anything (even, almost, the horror that was “Cats”), but everyone else performs at an equally high level; special mention should go to Kidman, though, for managing to take on the role of an aging chorus girl and making us believe that she’s been dancing in the background for 20 years without ever getting noticed – as if she weren’t, well, a superstar like Nicole Kidman.

These players are gifted enough to take the broadest, corniest, most cliched bits of the script – which, in truth, amounts to most of it, by design – and giving it not just the extra dimension it needs to be more than a goofy pastiche, but the enthusiasm and all-around show-biz moxie that keeps an audience engaged and entertained even when the story lags.

And it does lag, there is no denying it. As any aficionado of musical theater will surely tell you, all but the most remarkable of shows suffer from what’s often called the “second-act slump,” and “The Prom” is no exception. Indeed, it’s exacerbated here by the script’s reliance on the triedand-true “beats” that have formed the core of the genre’s

The cast of ‘The Prom.’

(Photo courtesy Netflix)

dramatic structure since the days when musicals made the transition from the era of Ziegfeld’s Follies to the age of “Oklahoma.” Onstage, this slavish adherence to traditional format is surely part of the show’s charm, another function of its lovingly self-mocking tone. But on film, without the in-person visceral excitement that comes from seeing those aforementioned dance numbers exploding before your eyes, it can be an obstacle to keeping the interest of audiences used to more sophisticated fare.

Thankfully, the film rendition of “The Prom” never lets its slow spots hold it back for long. Murphy the director relies on the strengths of his cast while filling the screen with the kind of artfully kitschy, colorful visual spectacle that makes even his pulpiest endeavors a feast for the eyes; and while his quick-edit cinematic style fails to capture the majesty of its dance sequences (choreographed with vigor and an aptly satirical touch by Casey Nicholaw) in the same way as the long takes of the classic Hollywood musicals that so clearly inform his palette here, the flash and movement with which he instills every moment of them is more than enough to keep us appropriately dazzled by them.

More importantly, though, he makes “The Prom” a success despite its flaws because of that heart connection that led him to make it in the first place; in the midst of all the larger-than-life “zazz” (to borrow a phrase from the film), he never lets us forget the importance of the human story underneath it, and the powerful message of acceptance that was intended to be the show’s reason all along.

It has to be acknowledged that Murphy’s track record is somewhat hit-or-miss for all but his most ardent fans, and that “The Prom” is the kind of bubbly, lightweight musical theater that you’re probably not going to like if you’re not a fan of that kind of material.

For everybody else though, it’s worth putting at the top of your Netflix queue when the streaming platform drops it on Dec. 11.

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3 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • DECEMBER 0 4 , 2 0 2 0

Benefits of house hunting during the holidays This time of year brings less competition, better pricing

By KHALIL EL-GHOUL

The holiday season is generally a slower time for the housing market. This presents a window of opportunity for savvy home shoppers. While braving the winter weather to attend an open house may not be your idea of a good time, this year presents a unique opportunity for holiday house hunters. Because of the current pandemic, the majority of sellers are hosting virtual open houses. While most would-be home buyers are busy trimming trees and decking the halls, you can grab a cup of hot cocoa and experience all the benefits of house hunting during the holidays from your living room.

Many Sellers Are More Motivated During the Holidays.

The majority of homes found on the market during the holiday season have been listed since spring and summer. Most people don’t list their houses during this time of year, and if they do it is typically due to a time-sensitive event. What does that mean for you? Most sellers are ready to get properties off their hands and are more willing to negotiate lower purchase prices.

Competition.

The market is less competitive during the holiday season, giving active home shoppers a better chance to land the house they want at the right price. Because there are fewer shoppers during this season, you are less likely to be involved in a bidding war. While this year you’ll notice that the market is still pretty active into the winter months, with the rise in COVID-19 throughout the country, competition isn’t as fierce as it’s been throughout the spring and fall. Many shoppers are waiting until the new year to move, giving you the opportunity to take advantage of sellers that want to move quickly.

The Holiday Spirit.

Many people are more generous during the holiday season and are generally in better spirits. This can work in your favor by choosing to buy during the winter months. Not only will you possibly find an amazing home at a price you can afford, but you might also negotiate some extras like appliances or furniture; maybe even some of your closing costs depending on how long the home has been on the market and how motivated the seller is. If you work with Glass House, you’ll earn up a cash back rebate at the end of your purchase. At closing, our buyers receive up to 1.5% cash back of the cost of their home.

Many sellers are more motivated during the holidays.

Shopping for a home during the holiday season presents incredible opportunities.

This is an especially great time if you are on a strict budget and timeline. Chances are you will get much more for your money throughout this traditionally slow time of the year. It’s cold out there, so grab yourself a cup of cocoa, get cozy on the couch, and peruse the available properties from the comfort of your home.

(Glass House Real Estate is a modern, more affordable way to buy and sell a home in the DC Metro area. Our team of accomplished agents proves that affordability doesn’t have to come at the expense of service or results. Learn more about what makes us different on our website: www.glassshousere.com.)

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is principal broker of Glass House Real Estate.

Reach him at khalil@glasshousere.com or 571-235-4821.

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